Free Republic

I think a big test of this will be whether he supports secret balloting in unions, as in my country it should be a big test.

Of course we know Obama likes caucusus where his thugs can intimidate people, so I wouldn’t hold out much hope.

I love dogs, they are love and affection without malice or personal gain of aforthought. The death of one of mine recently affected me as if a human had passed.

Recently someone in my country cut off the legs of a puppy with a knife because its owner fired him, I wished and prayed for the death penalty for such cruelty, even though we don’t even have the death penalth for cruelty to humans, bizarre.

Desperate I would put it, I don’t think any nation on Earth would have more self interest in America’s economy recovering. Just imagine hundreds of millions of desperate unemployed in China, the mind boggles.

The American consumer rules the planet as never before.

It always amazes me when future populations are predicted, who handed out the crystal balls?

Isn’t Global Warming supposed to change everything anyway, give me a break, you can’t have it every which way.

We can only pray.

I’ll agree with the ugliest comment.

And in Australasia we’re turning against the socialists.

In Australia since the Federal Election we’re tossing out Labor state Governments, the state of Western Austalia has already gone and the polls are against all the other Labor states.

Bring it on.

Ha ha, at least the weirdos didn’t get it all their own way on the 4th.

I’m on tenterhooks, is Obama going to be as appeasing as a Neville Chamberlain or a surprise.

I’m not particularly disparaging President Bush, the most unfairly maligned President in history in my opinion, but in hindsight the invasion of Iraq was a mistake fiscally, and those ingarateful Iraqis will ultimately pay the price in my opinion.

Go on Obama pull out, then let’s see them have a good life, I don’t think so.

I will never forget President Bush standing on that pile of rubble threatening America’s enemies, somehow I just can’t see Obama in the same light, oh well, such is history.

I guess Sarah will just have to choose her own team of non selfish excuse ridden backstabbers when she runs in 2012.

What a disgrace.

I’m not that up on financial matters but I have never heard of any other sort of loan but the so called ‘recourse’ type.

The same applies to defaulting on a car as far as I know, if it is repossessed and then sold you still have to pay the difference from the original loan.

No wonder the sub-prime mess developed the way it did in the US if it was (or is still) that easy and future financial guilt free to get into a house. I mean having a bad credit rating is one thing but to still have to pay back the bank’s loss is another matter entirely and must surely curb not only the exuberance of the buyer but the lending patterns.

I was puzzled when I read that people in the US were just walking away from houses, ‘but they still had the debt’ I told myself, now I know what all that means.

The bank has lost a heap and no wonder so many got in trouble.

Sorry I’m slack in replying, I’m just getting used to how Free Republic, pings, and all that, works.

He didn’t actually say ‘spread the wealth’ but very pro union policies hinted at it. Also the very fact that Australian left wing Governments always pillage the surplus that the conservatives have built up to fund spending projects directed at the ‘needy’ and noisy masses is a pretty good indicator too.

The previous conservative Government also had a ‘future’ fund funded by the sale of Government assets, the labor Government soon suggested plunging into that even during the election campaign, they couldn’t help themselves.

As I said the conservatives had built up a 20 billion odd surplus over 10 years or so and half is now gone in just a year since the socialists were elected.

Now I know that George Bush is somewhat culpable over the American deficit but he has had pretty unusual, virtually one off circumstances, solialists always plunge us into debt here.

Wayne Swan is the one who has spent half of the 20 billion surplus already and is now talking about using the rest. God help us. America you think you’ve got problems.

Good idea, let’s sit back and let Iran control the world.

Yeah, Europe did a great job stopping Milosevic, just imagine, he’d still be there without the US Air Force.

This is going to be so bizarre, can’t wait till the next crisis in Europe.

I can see Europe coming cap in hand, wonder what Obama will do.

Oh I know, discussions without preconditions with the baddies. I forgot.

You are so right, America has invented just about everything that’s worthwhile and for that the rest of us can be grateful, I certainly am.

We (not me personally) elected a left wing Government here too a year ago but so far they appear to be to the right of Obama, in fact at the moment there is precious little difference between them and the previous conservative one.

We have a universal health care system here however, but which, in all honesty, I would not swap for anything. (Incidentally this has been around for a long time and neither flavour of Government would dare to try to alter it for the worst).

Those earning roughly over $30,000 a year pay 1.5% of their income into Medicare and then virtually everything is free, or very near it. Under $30,000 pays nothing, while high earners, I’m not sure of the amount, I think about $150,000 to $200,000 pay a surcharge. I have recently had batteries of tests including, a colonoscophy, numerous CT scans, 1 MRI, ordinary XRays, and heaps of blood tests,and had several broken bones set and tended to, all completely free. (Luckily they couldn’t find anything wrong with me).

Also all doctor prescribed medication is dispensed for a co-payment of just $4.50 per script no matter how many hundreds or thousands it really costs, this is called the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Private health insurance here is basically for those who don’t want to have to wait for elective surgery in a hospital, but emergencies are still quick and free. I waited last year for 7 months for a non critical hernia operation. But once there it was a big success and of course, free.

Incidentally I believe that even something like a car accident requiring a visit to an emergenty centre is billable in the US, tell me if I’m wrong, but someone told me that. Here all that is automatically free.

My main gripe with this and any left wing Australian Govenment is their bonds with the unions, but so far these ones seem more distant, in fact several large unions recently have claimed that they have let them down and have started advertising against them.

And while this Government has withdrawn from Iraq they have announced a beefing up of our pathetic military, to the realm of billions in fact for new ships, planes and other equipment.

Abortion is not an issue in Australia for 98% of people, it is never mentioned in elections, unfortunately most people tolerate the act when its happening to someone else even though they don’t like the grisly idea of it per se.

The financial environment is indeed very free and yet in some ways regulated (for safety) better than most countries in the world, did any of your hear about any Australian bank getting into trouble recently in this mess? I can virtually guarantee you won’t.

Not that I’m that savvy with the financial system here although I did dabble a bit in the stock market 8-9 years ago during the tech bubble (I was lucky to make a tiny profit and bailed out before the crash, I didn’t trust it).

I have heard of a few mortgage and property investment funds going belly up, but once again, no banks or any other major financial institutions.

But Australia has a weakness economically in that it is very dependent on the resources boom and China staying healthy, if they go bad we will have plenty of unemployment.

But unemployment assistance here is not predicated on any sort of previous employment record or insurance like I understand it is in the US (tell me if I’m wrong). For instance young kids straight out of school will get unemployment financial assitance and automatic PBS benefits until they get a job.

I would class myself as an Americanophile (at least rabidly anyway until Obama), but still couldn’t leave the safety of Australia. (And I am patriotic even though I despise my current Government).

I love your political system (even despite Obama), and wish we had the same here, especially set dates for elections every four years, here it is every three years and the Prime Minister in power gets to choose the date, so that is open to attempted abuse with the ruling party trying to choose the best date for themselves. Sometimes though they misjudge this and there is a backlash from the voters.

Just a few points.

I hope you’re right. I love your enema comment, an emema should be cleansing indeed.

Here’s to Sarah in 2012.

Thank you for your kind words.

I understand what you are going through, it recently happened here.

As you said, America has bailed out so many, I wonder how many would return the favour. Not many I would surmise, it stinks, pure jealousy in my opinion.

But America has always come through, I hope history will continue to prevail.

For the life of me I can't see why America has chosen a multicolored socialist ahead of a proven war hero and patriot.

Incidentally I'm Austalian and have no direct personal involvement in your election other than emotional.

But we here (not me personally) chose the left recently with the mantra of change, it changed alright, it became worse.

Socialism has never worked anywhere, ever, and in this case it's even worse whereby the apparent winner has a record of past association with terrorists and America haters, that is not to mention a deep seated fear I have of there being something even more sinister like 'him' being a fifth column for something much more dire.

John McCain is 72 and has been through the highs and lows and will now have to return to his job in the Senate but I feel really sorry for Sarah Palin. For a newcomer to step onto the national stage with such aplomb was amazing and I hope her appetite is wetted and she will be back in 2012 when the socialist has bankrupted the nation and given in to all the terrorists.

I hope and pray that in the end this will be a beginning and not a decline similar to the great Roman empire.